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Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«دَا وَجْهَكْ وَالَّا ضَيِّ الْقَمَرْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

Well, look at you! Is that really your face, or has the moon come out?

Literal wording

Is this your face, or is it the light of the moon?

Meaning and lesson

Faced with someone who has turned up unexpectedly, the speaker feigns disbelief, asking whether the brightness in front of them is a familiar face or moonlight. The question is rhetorical: the mock confusion conveys delighted astonishment at the sudden arrival, not real doubt about who has come.

The line also works as a heartfelt welcome. Comparing the newcomer to the moon's glow is warm praise within a greeting rather than a romantic declaration or flirtation, and it tells the guest plainly that their coming is a joy. An ordinary arrival becomes a small occasion for warmth.

When it is used

Say it at the moment someone appears without warning and you want to greet them warmly, such as opening the door to a friend or relative whose unexpected visit is a pleasant surprise. It is a welcome, not a general remark on someone's looks.

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